“I am drawn to the reflective and fluid qualities of water and its ability to change colour. Moving across the painting, the sheen of the pouring medium mimics the sparkle and dynamism of water, bringing a sense of life and transformation to the canvas.” ​

I am compelled to capture and celebrate my natural surroundings, specifically the life-giving entity of water. Georgian Bay often acts as muse. My Abstract Mixed-Media Landscape paintings invite the viewer to a meditative space that evokes my visceral experience of standing at the water’s edge, which is where I find peace and calm.

My process explores the reflective, dynamic and colour-changing qualities of water and sky. The translucent sheen of pouring medium contrasts the exposed matte acrylic paint, just as light reflects off water. Surfaces are built up using modeling paste. Mixed media is incorporated, such as cheesecloth and sand. Imagery is painted. Pouring medium is used to form gestural lines and reflective pools over aspects of imagery and texture (modeling paste, cheesecloth) to create a landscape that meanders between abstraction and realism.

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Celina Melo graduated cum laude from York University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Specialist in Visual Arts and a Bachelor of Education in 2006. She is a teacher for Dufferin-Peel Catholic District School Board, where she teaches high school Visual Arts, Photography, Media Arts, Religion and Canadian & World Studies. Melo is a member of Mississauga Arts Council, Colour and Form Society, Lakeshore Art Trail, Visual Arts Mississauga, and Ontario College of Teachers. She continues to exhibit her work across the GTA and Midland, Ontario. She currently lives in Mississauga with her husband, two daughters and her Yellow Labrador Retriever.